Summers: From a hunter

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While I call myself a hunter, I have not participated in the sport in awhile. I do have great respect for hunters. What I have no respect for is the assault weapon mentality. These are the weapons used in all of our recent massacres. These are the Bushmasters, AK-47s and the like along with their high- capacity magazines. These are not sport weapons, they are nothing short of weapons of war and should only belong in the hands of soldiers and police officers. Let's be real clear on this: sport weapons will not be taken from us.

Recently and individual wrote in feeling a slippery slope of our guns being taken from us was about to happen. Bazooka boy felt it was his right to own bazookas and RPGs (rocket propelled grenades). Pure lunacy! I would be real nervous about a neighbor that owned such weapons.

Guy Pacot wrote in with an NRA narrative. Guy, get used to the idea, what Wayne LaPierre of the NRA is selling just doesn't pass the smell test. Interesting word you used, "statistics." Here are some statistics for us to ponder from The Washington Post: "U.S. has the highest rate of private gun ownership in the world. An average of 88.8 guns per 100 people. Next would be war- torn Yemen at 54.8 per 100 per residents while Iraq has 34.2 guns per 100 residents."

The U.S., 5 percent of the world's population, owns 40 percent of the weapons held by the world's private citizens.

Those of you standing in the shadows afraid to say something, maybe because of your occupation, this is your time to step up.

In 1996 Australia had a watershed moment after a massacre. They enacted a very strict gun law. They still hunt. They have had no massacres since.

Lastly I would admonish The Summit Daily in reporting that "26 people" had been killed, which should have read, "including 20 children."

We must not forget what happened on this dark day in December 2012 in Newtown. They had a quiet community where really not much happened.